Safety chiefs have warned of the dangers of cut-price chargers after two Grimsby women had to escape out of a window when fire swept through their living room, where a phone had been left on charge overnight.

The fire destroyed the sofa on which the phone had been left and gutted the room.

Extensive damage was also caused to the rest of the property on Farebrother Street in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The two women, a mother in her 70s and her daughter, jumped from the front window. Both suffered from smoke inhalation and were taken to hospital by ambulance.

Humberside Fire and Rescue Service used two hose reels to extinguish the fire and four firefighters wore protective clothing and used breathing apparatus sets to get into the blazing ground-floor flat.

Station manager Dominic Purchon confirmed the cause was a mobile phone left on charge over night and said a smoke detector activated, giving the residents the chance to escape before fire engulfed the home.

A flat on Farebrother Street in Grimsby was heavily damaged by the fire (Image: Rick Byrne / Grimsbylive)

A fire service spokesman said: "Anything that needs charging, such as tablets, phones electrical cigarettes, needs to be done with a compatible charger."

He added: "We would not recommend using anything other than the official manufacturer's chargers. A cheap import may cost £3 or £4 but sometimes it is an expensive mistake which could cost lives.

"These fires are rare but they are not isolated.

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"There is an issue with charging due to the heat it creates. If left on soft furnishings such under pillows or chairs or carpet, it has the potential to have a rise in the heat. Ideally they should be charged on a solid surface such as a kitchen worktop or a table.

"Often the issue is compatibility of chargers and people use chargers that are not the official manufacturers' and are badly maintained and not in full working order.

"There are a lot of cheap foreign imports. They are not approved and the build quality is not there and the voltage may not be suitable in the UK. People still use them even though the wiring is frayed which can be dangerous."

A mother and daughter escaped by jumping out of the front window of the ground floor flat (Image: Rick Byrne / Grimsbylive)

Christine Thompson, who lives in the upstairs flat, said she may have never woken up had it not been for caring neighbours who banged on her door to alert her to the fire at around 4.45am on Thursday.

She told Grimsby Live: "I am really grateful to the neighbours. I am not sure which one it was. But I managed to get out in my nightie and dressing gown."

The mental health carer added: "When I woke I could hear screaming and shouting. At first I thought it was someone outside and wanted them to shut up.

"It is embarrassing because we practice fire drills at work regularly. But when I first woke up I could smell smoke and searched around my flat but could not see any. I took my glasses off to clean them to see if it was in my flat. I went from my bedroom to the lounge but couldn't see anything.

Christine Thompson, who was alerted to the fire by quick-thinking neighbours (Image: Rick Byrne / Grimsbylive)

"But I quickly realised it was from downstairs and so I got out. It was good of the neighbours to knock on the door, otherwise I might have slept on. The smoke alarms went off downstairs."

She told of how her elderly neighbour and her daughter were treated by paramedics and then taken to hospital.

Christine said: "They had got out through the front window. They were lucky to escape. The living room is gutted and the rest of the flat is wrecked.

"I have had to take time off work because gas and electrical engineers have to visit to make sure the system is safe."

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